Best in the class: Michelin XM2+ (2019)

There is no question that Michelin is the world’s leading technology leader in the tire industry. They spend a whopping 687 million euros in 2019 on research and development, the 2nd highest after Bridgestone.

XM2+ is a rubber compound upgrade of XM2. Even though the pattern is the same, Michelin still managed to improve its wet braking and mileage. As Michelin often disclose how well they are doing in comparison with other competitors, you will be able to judge yourself whether this tire is worth your money.

Should I buy it?

1. Wet braking
-According to Michelin website, MICHELIN Energy XM2+ Tyres brakes 1.5m shorter when new and 2.6m shorter when worn vs other premium tyre brands. So with a typical braking distance of around 35m when you deaccelerate from 80km/h to 0km/h. XM2+ is at least 4% better than the competition.

2. Mileage
-XM2+ made a bold claim stating that their tire lasts 25%* longer compared to other premium tyre brands.

^{* Longevity test conducted by China Automotive Technology and Research Center Co.,Ltd (CATARC) (an independent 3rd party), on Michelin’s request, in September 2018 in TianJin, China, on dimension 205/55 R16 91V on Volkswagen GOLF7 comparing MICHELIN Energy XM2+ versus Premium Competitors (figures represent the average of 5 other premium brands). Longevity test run in average real usage with 20,000 km run and estimated longevity at the depth of Tread Wear Indicator}

3. Price and size availability.
The XM2+ covers sizes ranging from 13 inch all the way to 16″. So this tire line is serving the comfort segment. As the technology leader, Michelin charges the absolute premium for its tire. Comparing a 205/55R16 price against Bridgestone’s Ecopia 300, XM2+ is almost 40% more expensive

Name	Tire Size	Price(RM)
Michelin Energy XM2+	175/65R14	220
Michelin Energy XM2+	185/60R14	250
Michelin Energy XM2+	185/65R14	277
Michelin Energy XM2+	185/70R14	280
Michelin Energy XM2+	195/60R14	304
Michelin Energy XM2+	195/70R14	360
Michelin Energy XM2+	175/65R15	260
Michelin Energy XM2+	185/55R15	280
Michelin Energy XM2+	185/60R15	245
Michelin Energy XM2+	185/65R15	266
Michelin Energy XM2+	195/55R15	260
Michelin Energy XM2+	195/60R15	305
Michelin Energy XM2+	195/65R15	308
Michelin Energy XM2+	205/60R15	358
Michelin Energy XM2+	205/65R15	367
Michelin Energy XM2+	205/70R15	326
Michelin Energy XM2+	185/55R16	285
Michelin Energy XM2+	195/50R16	357
Michelin Energy XM2+	215/65R15	422
Michelin Energy XM2+	205/55R16	388
Michelin Energy XM2+	195/60R16	420
Michelin Energy XM2+	205/60R16	420
Michelin Energy XM2+	215/60R16	430
Michelin Energy XM2+	205/65R16	385
Michelin Energy XM2+	215/65R16	495

Summary

If you decide to purchase a XM2+ , you will have the best wet braking and mileage tire in the market. Possible drawbacks might be higher fuel consumption and a much higher cost but as the saying goes “you get what you pay for” which is a top class tire